Wm. Nobbe employee dies in crash near Chester

A longtime employee of Wm. Nobbe & Co. John Deere is being remembered as a dedicated employee, devoted husband and loving father following a fatal crash on Route 3 near Chester last week.

Illinois State Police said Keith F. Wolter, 38, of Evansville, was killed when a southbound 2015 Ford Fusion driven by Jonathan Hohgrefe, 46, of Chester, struck a deer in the roadway shortly after 6 p.m. The deer went airborne and flew threw the windshield of Wolter’s 2015Chevrolet Equinox.

Wolter was pronounced dead at the scene.

Funeral services for Wolter will take place Tuesday in Red Bud.

Wolter had worked as a corporate parts manager for Wm. Nobbe & Co. in Waterloo for 20 years.

“We write this with a heavy heart as we say goodbye to someone who was more than just a corporate parts manager,” the dealership wrote on its Facebook page. “Keith was part of our family for 20 years and played an important role in helping us get to where we are today.”

In addition to memorials listed in his obituary, a scholarship fund has been set up for Wolter’s children. Donations can be mailed to First Bank – 1411 S. Main St. Red Bud, IL 62278, or dropped off at any First Bank location.

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